Crushed Dreams
by Stefon Keiji
Summary: His village was attacked, all were killed, now it's time for revenge
1. Chrushed Dreams Chapter One

Crushed Dreams Chapter One

The boy picks up the blade, still too heavy for him to wield without difficulty, but the anger running through his body was enough to handle the rest. He tears out of his small family cottage, hopping over his father's motionless body: "They shall all pay!" the boy yells in rage, tears flowing down his face.

"Why had this come to be?" the boy wondered, "We did everything they asked! But I guess they were nothing more than mere monsters. Well, all monsters are destined to die!"

"Eak!" the boy hears a familiar voice.

"No!" He thinks as he takes off toward the direction of the scream.

"Stefon! Help me! Please!" The female voice yells.

"No! Not her!" Stefon thinks running as fast as he could.

He finally comes around the last corner. A blade glistens, raised above the enemies head, above the girl's head, "No one can save you now! Ha! Enjoy hell!" The soldier starts to bring down the blade.

Everything to Stefon slows down, step, step, inch, inch. "Am I going to make it?" Stefon wonders step; by step. Stefon gets closer just as inch by inch the blade gets closer to the girls head.

Stefon remembers all the times he had with the girl, even though he was forbidden from seeing her, beings that she was royalty, but they still saw each other as much as possible.

Stefon quickens his pace, step, step, step, inch, inch.

The soldier caught Stefon out of the corner of his eye, and that was the last thing he saw, Stefon brought down his own blade with as much speed and power as he could muster, and through his leg in front of the enemy soldier's blade. He winced as it cut through his leg and only stopped once it hit the bone, right below the knee. His blade caught the soldier high in the chest, slicing easily through his heart and lungs.

Stefon pushed the corps back off from his father's blade, now his, and jerked out the soldier's blade from his knee.

"Are you alright, Dominique?" Stefon asks the girl who was wiping away tears of fear from her face, and crawling toward Stefon.

"I'm alright, just scared." She says hugging Stefon.

Stefon looks to see the square he's in is full of enemy troops." Crap…" Stefon mumbles as he slowly walks backward finally getting his back to a wall, and placing Dominique behind his back, he steps forward and puts his sword in a defensive position.

"Brave kid, but you and your girlfriend are still going to die!"

"Only after you!' Stefon lunges forward bringing his blade between the cocky soldier's eyes, Stefon then hops back into his defensive position.

"Do you actually think you can take us all?" Another soldier asks.

"No, but I'll be sure to take as many of you to hell with me as I can!"

The ground starts to rumble and they all look around. They all get twitchy, and mumbles can be heard from the crowd. "Is it true?" "No, it's just a myth." "But-" "Look!"

A red flash is seen soaring to high altitudes, then seconds later there is another flash of red as the object plunges toward the square.

"It's true!" Stefon whispers in excitement, "The legend is true!" Stefon now yells as a fiery blast from the red object lands in the middle of the crowd of soldiers sending corpses flying everywhere.

"It's the dragon!" The rest of the living soldiers scurry toward safety, Stefon and Dominique stood perfectly still, a little in aw, a little in fear.

The dragon lands in the square in front of Stefon and Dominique. Stefon drops his blade a little in an offensive position, not knowing the intent of the dragon.

"I claim you as my princess!" The dragon roars.

Stefon and Dominique are so stunned by the fact that the dragon can talk, they didn't even go to run as the dragon rushed toward them, swooped up Dominique, and was off in the sky.

"No! Come back!" Stefon yells as he takes off after the dragon keeping an eye on it at all times.

Stefon finally reached the Forbidden Forest, where many demons lurk, his favorite place to hang out when he was alone; he knew it like the back of his hand.

After running for fifteen minutes, Stefon is finally winded, and loses track of the dragon.

"No! I've lost it!" He screams in frustration, and soon regrets it. In the distance he hears a loud cracking sound coming straight at him, "What now?" Stefon asks angrily unsheathing his blade.

The beast finally explodes out of the foliage.

"Who dares trespass in my wood?" The twelve foot tall wolf asks Stefon.

"Oh crap…" Stefon says loosening his grip on the sword. "I'm in search of the dragon." Stefon bravely says knowing how close he is to death.

"Dragon you say?" The wolf asks, loosening his muscles a little.

"Yes, it flew over these trees carrying someone close to me."

"I saw no dragon."

"He flew into the clouds."

The wolf looks Stefon up and down. "I heard of a disturbance, west of here a few minutes ago, I was traveling to check on it. That's where I would look if I was you." After saying that the wolf disappeared back into the foliage.

"Well that was close." Stefon takes off again into the foliage, west from where he met the wolf.

After running for about another fifteen minutes Stefon finally reaches the clearing in the woods. He keeps running forward looking frantically in every direction, then he finally spots it, in the middle of the clearing there is a cave where profound screaming is being omitted.

"Bastard! Better not hurt her!" Stefon runs with all he has left.

"I don't want to be your princess!" Dominique screams over and over again.

Stefon runs until he trips over a small lump.

"Ow! Watch where you are running!

Stefon jumps up without even looking at what he tripped over, and takes off again in the direction of the cave.

"Halt!" The object he tripped over yells.

Stefon turns to see a young wolf, "What?" he asks annoyed.

"You can't go in there!"

"The hell if I can't!" Stefon yells, and soon finds himself on his back with a pretty young girl, about his age, shinny silver hair, and aqua blue eyes, on his chest.

"Where did you come from?" Stefon asks a little confused.

"I'm the wolf stupid! I'm a shape shifter like the rest of my clan." The girl says annoyed at Stefon's ignorance.

"Well, why can't I go in the cave?" Stefon asks struggling a little.

"Stop!" The girl says slamming Stefon on the ground. "That." She then says pointing to a huge group of soldiers that had attacked his village, entering the cave.

"So? The dragon can easily take them!"

The girl smacks Stefon, "See that cart right there?"

Stefon looks, "Yeah, so?"

"That's wolf's bane, it's a rare plant that decreases dragon's powers.

"I don't care! I'll fight then myself if the dragon will not!" Stefon pushes the girl off from his chest, takes a few steps after getting up, and hears a shrill scream which put him to a dead stop, and fall to his knees. "No….No!" Stefon yells, and soon feels a blow to the back of his head which sends his face into the ground.

"Shut up!" The girl hisses.

"Get off!" Stefon lunges forward as the dragon explodes out of the top of the cave holding Dominique's lifeless body, tears roll down Stefon's face as he lets out a battle cry and charges forward.

"If you're going to do anything, take out that cart." The girl, now back to a wolf, yells to Stefon, and then sits to watch the action.

Even with his battle cry, Stefon still surprises many of the soldiers when he brought his blade from the head to toes of the closest soldier to him. Stefon then scurried to the cart of wolf's bane, killing all that got in his way taking only minor cuts and scratches.

When Stefon finally reached the cart it was on a slop, not too step, but good enough to get something to roll on, so Stefon severed the ties from the cart to the horses pulling it, the horse furthest away from Stefon took, off into the woods, while the other stood still. Stefon gave the cart a good shove which sent it on its way. Stefon then grabbed the reigns of the horse that stood still and began running toward Dominique's lifeless body.

"No! No! How could this be?" Stefon kept asking in his mind as tears flew freely down his cheeks.

Stefon was about fifteen feet from the body when he was surprised from the left, and took a pike to the ribs. Stefon fell to a knee clutching the wound tightly; the soldier then raised the pike high above his head, and was about to strike when Stefon felt paws jump to and from his back, and in a flash of silvery gray the soldier was on his back with a raged wolf tearing at his face. With this chance Stefon struggles to his feet and takes off for Dominique's body.

Stefon finally gets to Dominique and knows she's gone by the sight of the wound across her chest. Stefon falls to his knees and clutches Dominique's body crying freely. "I will….I will avenge your death, they all shall perish!"

Stefon hears a scream, and looks to see the wolf is completely surrounded by grunts, so he picks up Dominique's body, places it across the horse's shoddier blades, and takes off for the other girl.

"Grr…There's too many of them." Stefon thinks, then, after hearing a thunderous roar, looks back to see that, finally, the dragon regains some of it's strength, and is tearing through soldiers like rag dolls, Stefon then, slices the back of the head of the soldier in-between him and the wolf girl. He then throws his hand down, picks up the girl, and puts her on the back of the horse.

"Let's get the hell out of here!" She yells into Stefon's ear, who is happy to oblige.

They travel for around ten minutes to Stefon's village, which was in shambles, there was very little movement, save for a few birds feasting on the carcasses.

"Bastards!" Stefon yells as he dismounts, and charges after the birds. "Well, looks like I got a few graves to dig…But first let's look for survivors." Stefon says looking at the girl.

"Alright," she says, "By the way, my name's Faith."

"Mines Stefon, and thanks for the help."

"Dido." The girl says, then forming into a wolf to sniff out survivors.

Stefon searches every house in town, no signs of anything living, suddenly he hears a high pitch yipe, so he takes off in that direction.

"What now?" He asks himself as he runs around the final house to see Faith fighting with a coyote, and clearly losing. "What the hell are you doing?" Stefon asks, staying out of the brawl with his sword drawn.

"What does it look like?" Faith asks annoyed.

"I don't know…Making friends possibly?"

Stefon sees clearly that Faith has no chance, so when he sees his chance, he severs the coyote's back leg, after which Faith finishes the job by tearing out its throat.

"Well, looks like you've had enough fun with Rouge; let's see if you can handle the rest of the pack."

"Pack?" Stefon wonders as he turns around to see about thirty coyotes, half of which were the size of the first wolf he had saw in the forest. "Oh….Pack…Crap!" Stefon thinks again as he raises his blade.

"I'll take you all on by myself!" Faith says in her human form, now wielding two short ninja swords.

Stefon hears an evil cackle, and turns to see about thirty more large coyotes.

"Well, I don't think we can handle all that." Stefon says looking for a way out.

"I'll have to agree." Faith says looking, but seeing that the sixty coyotes have surrounded them.


	2. Crushed Dreams Chapter Two

Crushed Dreams Chapter Two

"So, let's even the score."

"Who the hell?" Stefon says looking back to see a magnificent soldier in blood red armor, and huge blood red, dragon like, wings sprouting from his back.

The soldier raises his blade high above his head, then brings it down, disintegrating a coyote lunging at him, and spits fire from the end of his blade to kill plenty more.

"Well, that's one way to do it." Stefon says hacking down a few coyotes.

Faith tears through coyote after coyote with her swords.

"Dang it!" Will this onslaught ever come to an end?" Stefon says hacking down coyote after coyote.

"Probably not till we're dead!" Faith yells back to Stefon.

"What are you two complaining about? This is great!" The soldier says, now wielding a pair of claws, which are about a foot long, three claws to a hand, "By the way, the name's Wes."

"Are you crazy?" Stefon yells as he and Faith come back to back.

About five minutes the three of them are back to back with a huge pile of bodies around them.

"Damn it! This is getting tiring!" Wes says shutting his eyes, suddenly a red ring forms around the three, Wes extends his wings to their fullest, his hair starts to glow, "Hell fire!" Wes yells and a ten foot wall of fire arose around Stefon, Faith, and Wes, and slowly moved away from them, engulfing hundreds of coyotes and part of the village.

"You moron!" Stefon yells at Wes, while looking at the rubble of the village, "There could have been survivors!"

"Excuse me! But I'm not that irresponsible! I've already scanned this place from the sky, you're the only survivor." After that Wes takes off into the woods, chasing down a few coyotes.

"I think you pissed him off." Faith says while checking her wounds.

"Grr….Are you going to help dig the graves?" Stefon says walking off to find a good shovel.

"Sorry but I can't, I have to report back to my clan, If I get back before your done, I will. Bye till then." After that Faith takes off into the woods.

"Bye…" Stefon says walking off to find a good place to dig the graves.

After about forty-five minutes later, Stefon is down to the last three graves.

"That was quick." Faith says appearing from a crowd of bushes.

"Oh, hey." Stefon says noticing Faith. "Yeah, I see no reason to slack off, and the sooner I get done, the less I have to think."

"I see you're down to the last three graves." Faith says looking at Stefon's mother, father, and Dominique. "Want any help digging the graves?" Faith says as a wolf digging at the ground.

"Yeah, why not. Are you going to dig all three?" Stefon asks slamming the shovel into the ground.

"Yes, me and a few others from my clan."

"Alright, dig them deep and good." Stefon then walks off to a local stream he and Dominique used to hangout at.

After washing up and getting a few drinks of cool water, Stefon goes back to the village to see three neatly dug graves, and about a hundred wolves surrounding them.

"Good enough?" Faith asks, walking up to Stefon.

"Yeah, thanks. Where did they come from?"

"They're all apart of my clan."

"Oh, thanks I guess." Stefon says walking over to the three bodies. He picks u his father and places him into the small pit, and three wolves kicked in dirt until it was level with the rest of the ground. Stefon then walks over to his mother, and picks up her body, and repeats the process.

Finally Stefon walks over to Dominique's body, picks her up, slowly walks toward her grave and places her in.

"I will avenge you, and everyone else in the village." Stefon says in a low growl as he places a flower onto her chest and all the wolves in the pack howl, all in sync with the rest. Stefon looks around and starts to feel a little better for some reason. He wipes away all the tears as he watches Dominique's body disappear under the dirt getting kicked on her.

One of the larger wolves, the one he saw earlier in the woods, and he appeared to be the leader, approached him.

"You have experienced a great tragedy, and yet you still stand strong, ready to avenge the deaths of your village, but you don't want to go off unprepared." The wolf says sternly to Stefon, and then shapes into a human. "You will need some training, Faith has told me about your encounter with the coyotes, and I would like to thanks you for assisting my daughter."

"Heh, it was nothing, I was just there."

"Yea, but most people would have run away in fear." The elder wolf says as he walks toward the woods, Stefon following closely.

"Yea, well, I'm not like most people." Stefon says thinking about all that had happened.

Stefon and the rest of the wolves finally reach the caves where they live.

"First," the leader starts, "you will see our doctor about that wound."

Stefon finally remembers the wound, forgotten in the day's events, and winces.

"Then we shall eat, then rest. You have a big day ahead of you."

"You've got a pretty nasty wound there." An elderly man says coming up beside Stefon. "Follow me to the clinic." The man then leads Stefon off to a little shack in front of the caves.

Stefon awakes to find Faith at his feet. He then gets up and walks out of the cave to the warmth of the sun. He sets down on a rock and tries to wake the rest of the way up.

Not to long after sitting he feels a heavy smack to the back of the head.

"Why did you wake me up?" Faith asks tiredly.

"Like I did it on purpose." Stefon complains rubbing his head.

"Well," Faith starts, stretching and yawning, "There is a creek over there a little ways, I'm going to nap till everyone else wakes up, I'll get you then"

"Ok." Stefon says, walking off in the direction indicated.

Faith comes up from behind Stefon, who is washing up and staring at his reflection in the water.

"Finally up?" Stefon says standing up and turning to Faith.

"Yea, let's go." Faith skips back to the village with Stefon following loosely behind.

Just as he walks into the village, Stefon is dealt a intense blow to the abdomen, which almost makes him go to the ground, but he forces himself to stand.

"First lesion of the day, always be ready, even when walking into a friendly environment."

"Thanks." Stefon grunts trying to catch his breath.

"I'm Stan; I'll be your instructor until I see that you are ready to fight on your own." The man extends his hand out toward Stefon.

Stefon also extends his hand out and the two shake, the man wasn't much taller than Stefon, he had gray hair like everyone else in the village, and he was well built.

Stefon followed his new teacher closely as he walked away toward a battle yard, where many people were already training.

His teacher brought out his sword, and Stefon did the same.

"Let's see where you stand." Stan says charging at Stefon, blade raised high into the air.

Stefon was able to easily block the first few blows, but when Stefon went to retaliate, he was delivered a tackle which sent him into a near by wall, making a fair sized dent. Stefon fell from the hole to his knees and then struggled to his feet.

"Well, you need work on you counters, but I am surprised you're still able to stand. Let's see if you can move."

Stan rushed Stefon, even though Stefon was still trying to regain his balance. At the last second Stefon brought up his blade, surprising Stan, and swooped out his leg, putting Stan on his back. Stefon then stepped forward and put his blade to Stan's throat.

"Well, well." Stan says pushing away the blade and sitting up. "Shouldn't of went easy on you, now you might go off headstrong."

Stefon looks at Stan again and blacks out.

Stefon wakes up with a warm sensation on his forehead, and looks around to see Faith holding a rag.

"What happened?" Stefon asks sitting up and rubbing his head.

"You wound from the pike came open, and you passed out from the blood loss." Faith says standing up.

"Oh." Stefon says struggling to get up.

"Stay down." Faith says, pushing Stefon back down into the bed.

"Fine." Stefon says lying back.

The doctor enters the door and sees that Stefon is conscience.

"So, how long do you plan on keeping me in here?" Stefon says.

"At least till tomorrow, if not longer."

"Come on!" Stefon yells stilling up and is dealt a smack from Faith making him lie back down.

"That wound can easily come open now at its weakened state, and you could possibly bleed to death." The doctor says, "I'll be back with some breakfast, Faith you can go and train any time you want."

"Ok!" Faith yells cheerfully and runs out the door.

Stefon wines a little more, and finally settles back into a comfortable position, knowing there's nothing to be done.

At about midday, well after Stefon has finished his breakfast, Stan come to the hut, and after being permitted by the doctor, walked over by Stefon.

"I'm sorry about that." Stan says looking over the wound.

"Don't worry about it." Stefon says sitting up a little. "I pushed myself to hard."

"Oh, well in any case, you're a lot stronger that I had expected." Stan says.

"And that's where I get my advantage."

"Well, we will resume training as soon as you're permitted to leave."

"Ah, this is so boring!" Stefon says slamming his head into the bed and wincing in pain from the wound.

"See yea!" Stefon says, then beings to linger in the past.

After a littler while Faith comes into the hut and sits down by Stefon.

"My father is holding a war council; all of the males are there, so there's no one to train, and I can't join them."

"Cause you're a female?" Stefon says sitting up with little pain from his wound.

"Yea! I can barely train, 'It's unlady like' as my father would say, he was very angry when he found out that I had went off on my own when I met you."

"Oh, well that sucks."

"You couldn't imagine." Faith says standing up. "Could you take me with you?"

"What? Stefon asks looking at Faith.

"When you leave, will you take me with you?"

"Your father would kill me."

"So? I have to show him that I'm just as good as the others."

Stefon panders the though, "Even if I did, your father would hunt us down, kill me, and take you back with him."

"So? We'll have to move fast then." Faith says looking sternly at Stefon.

"But-"

Faith takes off out the door before Stefon can finish his sentence. "Damn it!" He thinks to himself.

Stefon then lies back yet again, and thinks about taking Faith, even with the consequences.

A few minutes after Stefon had finally shut his eyes for a small nap in the late afternoon he hears a battle cry that wakes him up and to his feet with sword in hand. He takes off out of the hut to see that he was surrounded by coyotes yet again. Stefon raises his blade and grips the handle tightly.

"You all just don't learn do you?"

Stefon turns to see Wes hovering about a foot above the ground; he was welding a chain with a wicked looking scythe at the end.

"You again?" Stefon says turning back to his opponents.

"Gee, I expected at least 'Hi', maybe even 'Thanks' beings that I saved your life, and about to again." Wes says letting a bit of the chain slip from his hand and the head of the scythe tough the ground.

"I never asked for your help!" Stefon says locking swords with a rushing soldier.

"Well, aren't we the ungrateful little wretch!" Wes says swinging his chain scythe around, and easily separating an advancing soldier's head from his body. "Don't need help hu?"

"Heh!" Stefon snorts and then hears Faith's scream in the distance, "Hell!" Stefon yells pushing back the soldier he had his sword locked with, onto his back and then slits the soldier's throat in the same clean motion. "Anyone who stands in my way will suffer the same fate!" Stefon again yells and then tears off in the direction of the scream.

Stefon finally reaches the training grounds and sees Stan and a few others battling it out with a large number of soldiers and coyotes mixed. He looks around to see Faith lying face down in a pool of blood around her torso.

"You monsters…" Stefon mumbles, "You…You all shall die." Stefon says calmly causing most of the soldiers to turn.

One of the soldiers steps forward laughing, "You and what army?"

Stefon kicks up a small rock, catches it, draws back, and with all his might, throws the rock. It passes through the first soldier's skull with easy, and buriers itself in the chest of a soldier behind that one. They both fall dead.

With the attention of the rest of the army Stefon closes his eyes and begins to cackle, "I have no need for an army! You all shall perish!" Stefon shoots his eyes open to reveal bloodshot demonic looking eyes, then jumps forward, splitting open the skull of the closest soldier to himself. After that Stefon blacks out.


	3. Crushed Dreams Chapter Three

Crushed Dreams Chapter Three

Stefon awakens in a pool of sweat in a bed, bandaged up. He sits up to see that he's in the makeshift hospital, with many around him.

Stefon then hops out of his make shift cot and runs outside to see wolves dragging hundreds of soldiers and coyotes to a massive grave. "Wes must be pretty strong then." Stefon thinks in his head noticing that almost all of the bodies that passed him were slain with the same weapon.

Stefon walks up to the leader of the wolves' clan and asks, "Where's Wes?"

The leader points the infirmary. "He was wounded soon after the battle began."

Stefon looks around stunned, "They weren't slain by that scythe." He then sees his own blade buried into the cave face, holding up a soldier by his head. "Bu…But, I blacked out."

"You killed then, all of them." The clan's leader slowly says noticing that Stefon had no recollection of the slaughter fest he had created.

Stefon looks around, "Is…Is Faith…?"

"She's fine, I guess you though she was dead. She was just knocked out by him." The leader indicates the man on the cliff face. "I'll have someone get that for you later. So, you have no knowledge of killing all these warriors?"

"No." Stefon says, and looks at the astonishing number of soldiers dead around him.

"I think, just think, you are the one who may finally bring an end to this chaotic time." The leader says, and then starts to lead Stefon to one of the caves where a sweet aroma fills the air. "You must be hungry."

"Yeah." Stefon says barley there.

The walk into the cave full of food and feasting wolves.

"Eat all you like." The chief says, finding himself a plate.

Stefon grabs himself a plate, and feels his stomach grumble, "How long have I been out?" Stefon asks, following the chief around gathering foods as they please.

"Only through the night. I don't think you got my name though, its Darius."

"Nice to meet you, as you already know, I'm Stefon."

Darius and Stefon finally sit down; Stefon looks around to see most of the wolves staring at him, and Darius also notices.

"They all admire you. You're a hero, without you, we would all most likely be dead."

"Hero..?" Stefon moves the though through his head. "They're all looking at me with fear."

"Well, you did go through a whole regiment of well trained soldiers with minor ease, and to add the fact that you remember none of it."

"I…" Stefon picks at his plate, pondering, eating here and there. He finally gets up and leaves.

"You don't have to leave, no one here cares."

"No, I'm fine, just need some air." Stefon exits the cave and heads toward the stream.

Stefon is splashing his face with water when Faith come from behind him, and pushes him in. Stefon stands up soaked with Faith gigiling uncontrollably, so Stefon jumps out of the water and gave her good shove into the steam.

She stands up giving Stefon a deadly look, "Not cool."

Stefon goes into a squat position smiling, "So?"

Faith runs out of the water chasing Stefon. Faith gains on Stefon quickly, and shoves him again into the water.

"Not cool." Stefon mimics Faith pushing himself out of the water, but Faith soon lands on his back, shoving his head under the water.

"Now, what are you two lovebirds doing?"

Stefon looks up to see Wes standing tall on the bank.

"What do you want?" Stefon asks calmly.

"Nothing, just wondering when you plan on leaving." Wes says getting himself a drink.

"As soon as I'm healed a little more."

"Which will be?"

"Around tomorrow." Stefon says looking to Faith who has a scowl look on her face.

"She coming?" Wes asks indicating Faith.

Stefon looks to the water, "Looks like we're leaving late tonight then."

Faith's face lights up and she hugs Stefon, "Thanks!"

"Your father is going to have my ass."

"So?" Faith and Wes ask semiannually.

Stefon just shakes his head walking back to the village with Faith on his back and Wes close behind.

They walk into the village, and Stefon throws his arms over his stomach to block Stan's attack.

"Nice, looks like your getting a little better, but let's go over this one more time." Stan hands Stefon his blade, and they walk to the training ground.

Stefon and Stan stand facing each other, about ten feet apart.

Stefon charges first this time, he makes his attack look legit, at the last second, jerks his blade down to block Stan's move, and then brings the blade yet again to Stan's throat.

"I see, well, you have my approval to leave, you can go at anytime, not saying that you are prepared, just that you have surpassed my help."

The leader of the clan comes up from behind Stefon and puts his hand on Stefon's shoulder.

"I see that you have greatly improved. That is all that we have to offer in terms of training, but you are welcome to stay and do any additional training at our grounds any time you like, and there will always be a bed ready for you."

"A place to call home." Stefon thinks, "Sort of makes me regret doing what I must later." Stefon says looking at Faith.

"As for now, we shall offer you a position in our clan, in our family."

Stefon looks around to see everyone looking at him, not as a monster any more, but as a member of their family.

Faith takes Stefon by the arm and ducks out to a secluded part of the woods.

"Going to be hard to do this, beings that my father's giving you so much trust?" Faith asks Stefon.

"Yea, but I said I was already." Stefon says slowly kicking into the air.

"My father is thinking about giving you the ultimate privilege, one that hasn't been given out in over a hundred years, making you a wolf."

"What? Giving me the ability to transform?" Stefon asks looking to Faith.

"Yea, but there is one problem, the weak can't handle the power, and their souls are taken over first full moon, and they are forever damned to a life of killing innocents."

Stefon thinks about what was said, "Do you think I'm strong enough?"

"If anyone is, you'd be." Faith says admiringly, "We had better be getting back to the village to get ready."

"Ok." Stefon says walking to the village.

Before Stefon reaches the village, Wes comes out from nowhere, "He, can we speak alone?"

Stefon looks to Faith.  
"I've got a lot to do, play nice." Faith says and runs off into the distance.

"I'd like to apologize," Wes begins.

"Don't worry about it." Stefon says cutting him off.

"Not about that…" Wes says slowly staring off into space.

"I know, don't worry about it, I don't know why you did it, but I know it wasn't entirely your fault." Stefon extends out his hand for a shake, "We should act more like allies, dragon."

"Sounds good to me." Wes says shaking with Stefon, then the two part, Wes to find food, and Stefon to find Faith and see if there was anything to be done.

Stefon sits to the right of Darius, facing Faith, with Wes to his left.

"Tonight is a special night indeed; we not only have won a great battle, but we shall soon have another addition to our family." Darius indicates Stefon, "So, shall we get the celebration underway?"

At that command wolves came in carrying plates loaded with foods, mostly meats from a fresh kill.

Stefon grabs himself a leg of an animal unknown to himself and begins to eat.

After everyone had finished their meals, they all gathered around the head of the table, surrounding Stefon, Faith, Darius, and Wes. "Shall we start the ceremony?" Darius asks Wes and Stefon, who shake their heads. "Ok, let it begin!" At that a huge fire ignites behind Darius, illuminating the whole cave. "Will you two step forward?" Darius asks waving a way for Stefon and Wes. "Do you two pledge you allegiance to our clan? Our causes?" Darius asks Stefon and Wes, who simultaneously say, "Yes." "Okay, if at anytime you do not comply with that promise, you will be rejected by all who live in these caverns, and will be executed!" Stefon and Wes's facial expressions change little at this warning.

Darius continues, "Beings that you full dragon, you can't participate in this next ceremony." Wes shakes his head knowingly and fades back into the crowd.

"Stefon, what you did yesterday was an action of great bravery, and without you we would of all been slaughtered for sure, so I offer you this, a chance to be one of us, to we a wolf!" Stefon's face lights up, and Darius continues, "I must warn you, the weak die, if you can't handle the power that I offer you, you will certainly lose you will, and will become a demon, one of great strength, so with that warning, do you wish to continue with this?" Stefon shakes his head with and prepares himself for the challenge that is to come, "Before I can give you this power you must enter the cave of demons and retrieve the weapon named, My Apocalypse! Then you shall return. This will be not easy task; you may even lose your life."

"I fear nothing! I will bring you what ever you need." Stefon says standing tall.

"Fine, open the sealed cave!" At that the wall behind the fire begins to rumble and move to reveal a passage way. "I give you one last chance to deny this, there will be no pride lost, we all know that it takes a lot of bravery to enter."

"I shall continue." Stefon says walking toward the cave.

"All I can say now is good luck." Darius steps back and hands Stefon a lit torch.

"Good luck!" Faith yells jumping up to be seen.

"See you when I get back." Stefon says running into the cavern.

Stefon runs down a winding stair case, the sounds of the party die out as he gets farther down into the pit.

He hears little movement around him, so he draws out his sword, just after that he hears a shrill scream, and is knocked to his back, fending of a demon that was trying to tear out his throat. He couldn't see it beings that his torch had flickered out.


End file.
